anxiety

1 [uncountable]anxiety (about/over something)the state of feeling nervous or worried that something bad is going to happenacute/intense/deep anxietySome hospital patients experience high levels of anxiety.Waiting for exam results is a time of great anxiety.See related entries:Nervous,Fear

3[uncountable]a strong feeling of wanting to do something or of wanting something to happenanxiety to do somethingthe candidate’s anxiety to win the voteanxiety for somethingthe people’s anxiety for the war to end

Word Originearly 16th cent.: from Frenchanxiété or Latinanxietas, from anxius, from angere

‘to choke’

.Extra examplesA few anxieties surfaced during the meeting.A lot of anxiety surrounds the issue of human cloning.His face betrayed his anxiety.I keep having this anxiety dream where I’ve forgotten to do something important.Physical activity can help reduce anxiety and depression.She felt a nagging anxiety that could not be relieved.The aim is to reduce anxiety and help the patients relax.The more reports I study the more my anxiety grows.The mothers were able to share their anxieties with each other.There are anxieties over the effects of unemployment.They were encouraged to express their fears and anxieties.We seem to live in a state of free-floating anxiety that can attach itself to anything.anxiety at the deterioration of relations between the powersdeep anxiety for the whole familyher growing anxiety about her healthpatients suffering from an anxiety disorderskills to cope with anxietythe high level of anxiety created by entering a new environmentA couple of photographers fell over themselves in their anxiety to get a shot of her.the candidate’s anxiety to win the votethe people’s anxiety for the war to end